


Anger Hurts

by VengeanceAngel



Series: Attempted Drabbles [8]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, Protective Billy Hargrove, Protective Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Sad Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:13:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22286923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VengeanceAngel/pseuds/VengeanceAngel
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: Attempted Drabbles [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601539
Comments: 6
Kudos: 115





	Anger Hurts

Billy shakes his head. “Nope. Not gonna happen.”

Max sighs. “The skirt is supposed to be this short.”

“I said no. Go back and change… now.”

Steve decides that interrupting might get him in trouble, but he can’t help it. “Billy… she’s 18. I don’t think we can-“ At the glare sent his way, he quickly shuts up. 

Billy turns back to Max and points toward her room. “ _Now!_ ”

She huffs out a breath and stomps back to her room, grumbling under her breath, and slamming her door. Billy glares after her and stomps to _his_ room and slams the door.

When Max comes out, she’s wearing jeans. She looks around and doesn’t see Billy, but her eyes land on Steve. They immediately soften. “Hey… it’s okay. He’ll get over it. I appreciate you trying to help.”

Steve sighs. “I don’t know why I do that. I shouldn’t butt in.”

Max squats down in front of Steve, who is sitting on the couch. “Steve… I know you don’t always believe it, but he loves you. I think he forgets sometimes how hard you take things. He’s not gonna leave you.”

Steve shrugs a shoulder as a tear drops from his eye. “You don’t know that.”

She hugs him quickly. “Don’t wait up.”

Steve looks at her incredulously. “You know I will.”

She smiles and kisses his cheek and wipes away the stray tear. “I know. I love you.”

“I love you, too, kiddo.” He watches her leave and then leans back on the couch. He debates watching TV, but is too stuck in his head. He waits for Billy to come and talk to him. He always does. He knows better than anyone how he gets when he thinks he makes someone angry. Billy always reminds him that he loves him and that’s how he gets through this bullshit that still haunts him. After an hour, though, he decides to go and see Billy. He doesn’t understand why he hasn’t come out yet. He opens the door quietly and sees that Billy is sound asleep. He tries not to be shocked by that. Billy doesn’t owe him anything, after all. He doesn’t have to stay. Steve whispers into the quiet room. “You nap. I’ll stay awake.”

He walks back out to the couch and curls around one of the throw pillows, thinking that maybe this time it was too much, that _he’s_ too much. He falls asleep, unable to help it, as he sobs quietly into the pillow, exhausting himself. 

That’s how Max finds him when she gets in from her date. She stares at him for a moment and then toward her bedroom. She packs a bag since El is waiting for her downstairs and then makes her way to the other bedroom. She keeps her voice hushed as she closes the door, turns on the side lamp, and approaches the bed. “Oh you fucker….” She stares at Billy, only being quiet for Steve’s sake. She kicks the bed hard. 

“Quit moving. I’m trying to sleep. Wait… are you… what?!” He jumps up, clearly realizing what’s happened. He looks over at Max and pales. “Please tell me that you just got out of the bedroom from changing…” 

She shakes her head. “No, I’m an hour past when I said I’d be home and I’m heading to El’s. Maybe you should be the one packing a bag. I can’t believe you, Billy! You know how he’s been ever since-“

“I know!” He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “God… fucking Harringtons… Why did they leave me to clean up their mess?”

She crosses her arms. “Yeah… that’s helpful.”

“You know what I mean. I’m not calling _him_ a mess. I _love_ taking care of _him._ I just hate what they did to him… Embarrassing him like that… _breaking_ him like that.” He frowns remembering graduation day when his father fumed about how much of an embarrassment it was to watch Steve graduate only to find out that he was too stupid to make it into any college. How his mother glared at him as if he was something on the bottom of her shoe. How Steve tried to chase them down. How he left, refusing to be in the class picture because he no longer thought he deserved it. And finally he remembers how the kids had pounded on his door because Steve was destroying his house and injuring himself in the process. Billy rubs his hands over his face as he remembers walking in only to find pieces of mirror in Steve’s hand from where he’d punched it over and over again. And how Steve brokenly told them about the plane crash that killed his parents… the parents who died hating their own son. 

“You put him back together, Billy. You’ve been great with him, but tonight… yeah, you fucked up. I’m leaving. Fix this.” She walks out and leaves the door open as he goes. 

Billy walks into the bathroom and looks at himself in the mirror. “Way to go, dick.” He splashes some water on his face and heads into the living room. He kneels down in front of the couch so he can see Steve’s face. He kicks himself mentally as the tear tracks on his face become visible. He leans in and kisses Steve’s forehead. “Come on, baby… wake up.” He kisses his lover a few more times until he pulls back to see the beautiful brown eyes staring back at him. 

“Billy?”

Billy nods. “Yeah, baby… it’s me. I fell asleep. I’m so sorry. I love you. You know that, right? I know I screwed up.”

Steve sits up and Billy quickly sits next to him, pulling him into his arms. “I love you so much, Stevie. There’s nothing you can do that will change that. I promise.” 

“I’m sorry, too. I should know that by now. It’s just… when someone’s… when someone’s mad… I…” 

Billy squeezes him close. “No, Steve. I don’t want you to think about that. All I want you to focus on is how much I love you. You’re amazing and wonderful and I love that you keep me in line with Max. You’re right. She’s 18 and I need to lighten up. I just worry about her.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You’re like her big brother, too, you know.” He kisses Steve lightly on the top of the head. “Am I forgiven?”

Steve nods. “Yeah, you are. Always, Billy.”

They walk into their bedroom together, holding hands, neither one planning on letting go of the other.


End file.
